//------------------------------//
// Chapter 7 
// Story: Nex, Gladiator 
// by That_Random_Pony 
//------------------------------//

"What... was that?" Rainbow sighed, sitting back against the wall. The others were acting similarly, unable to process what they witnessed. "There were spikes in its hands! What the Tartarus!"

"His," Celestia corrected, closing the door behind her. "They were implanted... along with other things."

Applejack nervously asked, "What do ya mean by 'other things'?" The princess could see fear in their eyes, the same as her guards and the doctors. 

"Princess, I know you want us to help, but we don't know how to help i-him," Twilight told her teacher. "We don't even know what he is! And he barely speaks Equish."

"Which is why I need you all to help." She took off her crown, surprising the others in the room, and set it on the dresser, looking into her reflection and gathering her thoughts. "He has good in him... it's perverse, and tainted, and repressed... but it's there." Her hands were shaking as she recalled his memories. "Nex did what he needed to... and he pays for it every day... I've seen it. He's scared of us."

"Uh, I really doubt that," Rainbow remarked, standing up and sitting beside Pinkie. "He punched through a wall. A crystal wall, Princess."

"That's impossible for an earth pony," Twilight pointed out. "What if he gets out of hand? Or what if he goes berserk or decides to eat somepony?!"

To each of their surprise, Celestia laughed. It was gentle, and a bit amused, but she didn't mean badly by it. "He hasn't tried eating anypony yet, so I'm confident he only eats what we import from the griffons," she chuckled. Her smile faded again, and she leaned against the dresser. "I don't know if he'll control himself... but I'm sure he'll try as long as somepony familiar is with him. And since I must stay here, as well as Luna, we need ponies we can trust."

"But what do we do?" Twilight asked, trying to think of anyone other than themselves. "He needs a therapist, a psychoanalysis -- something to help him!"

"That's why we need you. He's... hardened. He doesn't want to feel, or to know what's happened to him. That... that pit was his home... and he still wants to think he'll go back there." His memories surfaced in her mind, her eyes flickering as she repressed it. Twilight went to ask, but her former teacher put a hand up and blinked, the glow dissipating. "He needs someone to pull him out of the dark... to show there's more to the world than being holed up."

Rainbow scratched her head and nervously laughed. "Isn't that what you're doing?" she asked, avoiding the disbelieving eyes of her friends. 

"Yes, but only because Luna isn't entirely convinced... and I don't blame her," Celestia laughed, pushing her hair behind her ear. "He is very dangerous, yes... but he's very fragile. He wasn't nurtured like you all... he doesn't know what it's like to have family... or friends."

That struck a chord for the young princess in the room. She looked to her friends, each unsure but equally conflicted. "Have you found his family?" Twilight asked. She'd seen Glimmer, and if it were her making assumptions then he had been part of it. "You found Glimmer's parents. What about him? He had to come from somewhere, right?"

Her ex-mentor shook her head. "We're not sure where he came from. His memories are only vivid to when he was taken to the orphanage," she sighed, recalling the place of his terror. "And... after that he was taken by... whoever they may be."

The door opened again, and Luna stepped inside, gently closing the door behind her. "The doctors are placing a cast on his hand. He won't be doing that anytime soon," she said, rubbing her temples. "The crystal won't be closing after his outburst."

Fluttershy moved behind her friends and hid her face in her turtleneck. "I-I... I'm sorry," she sniffled, clearing her throat. "It was an accident."

Luna relaxed her expression and sighed. "Do not be, Fluttershy. We cannot control your illness." She looked to her sister, then to the girls. "Have you reached an answer?"

Before Rainbow could speak, Applejack slapped a hand over her mouth and nodded to Twilight. The newest alicorn weighed her options, fiddling with her fingers as she thought. "Don't worry about us, dear," Rarity told her, putting a hand on her shoulder. "We're behind whatever you think is best."

"Yeah... but he needs a friend," Pinkie reminded them, less playful than usual. "I don't wanna think about not being somepony's friend. It's scary."

Applejack yelped when she felt Rainbow's tongue slobbering on her palm, and the rainbow haired mare moved over to Twilight. "If we're doing this then I'm watching him 24/7. If he goes crazy I wanna knock him on his flank before somepony gets hurt."

Applejack wiped her hand on her friend's shirt and nodded. "Ah wanna know if he does anything violent. And Ah'd better not see one scratch on anypony 'cause of him," she warned, pointing at her chidingly. 

Twilight turned to Fluttershy, the only one who hadn't spoken. The weight of all eyes in the room on her, Fluttershy receded to her bed and closed her eyes. "W-Well... if you girls are okay th-then... then I am t-t-a-a-aCHOO!" She covered her mouth and fell back, landing on her bed. Rainbow snickered as she helped her up, pushing her hair apart. "...too."

Twilight smiled, her mentor doing so but brighter. "Well... I guess everypony's up for it," she sheepishly giggled. "Okay, Princess. We'll do it."

Luna’s expression was unchanged, but her sister smiled brighter than ever and hugged her former student. "Thank you, Twilight. I know you can help him better than someone and a couch."

Luna turned and left, sighing to herself.

We can only hope.















The Next Morning…



Nex grunted as he heard footsteps, his ears ringing after being in silence for so long. His stomach rumbled viciously, but he rolled onto his stomach, hissing as he felt his broken hand skim the cold ground. A pair of guards passed his cell, who he growled to, just as several earthen moved to the crystal wall. He stood up and moved to the back of his prison, readying his good arm as they positioned themselves by the entrance. His stance eased up, slightly, when the solar princess came into view. 

The guards strained as they dragged the wall of crystal back, just enough for two people to walk through. Celestia stepped inside, Nex sitting down as she knelt. He looked up at her, wondering why she was so cheerful. She was in a prison with him, something turned into a killing machine. What was there to be happy about? Was she crazy? 

"Nex," she said. He grunted lowly to express his acknowledgement. "Come... you're leaving."

His head slowly fell, his breaths growing deeper and deeper, then sprang back up as he realized she was serious. She took his hand in hers, her coat soft to the touch. He stared at her, questioning every little movement she made to get him to stand. The tugging on his arm was gentle, slowly guiding him off the floor and onto his feet. His eyes jumped between the guards and her, especially when they reached the opening to his cell. Celestia rose her brows as he stopped, nearly causing her to fall from his abrupt stop. She laughed softly, gesturing to the hall as he looked to her. 

"You don't have to stay here anymore," she assured him, putting her other hand over their hands. "Come, Nex."

His eyes glinted in the dull light, and his head turned as he gazed at some of the Solars. They seemed on edge, but none were armed. He grunted softly, following along as they entered the hall. He stared at every guard they passed, coiling his legs with every step he took. He bumped into her shoulder, grunting in surprise, but saying nothing as she smiled down at him. They kept going, reaching the steps that led up to the castle halls. Luna was waiting upstairs, the mares in charge of Nex anxious as they too waited for the princess. They heard the solar alicorn's heels get louder and louder, before she walked through the threshold. Behind her, holding her hand like a child, Nex walked into the hall, his eyes shooting downward as his bare feet touched the carpet. 

They watched him slowly plant his other foot on it, his attention still on the red rug. He moved his hand from Celestia's to run his fingers over it, marveling at the silk touch. Fluttershy held in a sneeze, but Nex still looked up at her, squinting his eyes as he looked to the others. They were still unsure of him, that much was obvious, but the purple unicorn did her best to look friendly. He couldn't say the same about the blue pegasus and orange earthen. 

"Nex." He looked to the darker alicorn, her gaze firm but her posture relaxed. "We know what you have survived, and we understand your disdain towards us... but we wish to make amends."

He felt the broken shackles on his wrists come loose, Celestia slipping them off and holding his good hand. "They're going to help you, Nex. You're going to learn about what ponies are really like," she said. He huffed softly and looked away, but she lifted his head and gave him a more stern look. "Please, Nex. I promise they will do everything they can to show you how wonderful life can be... I promise."

She moved away from him, then gestured to the girls. Twilight took the initiative and stepped forward, smiling as genuine as ever. "Don't worry. You're coming to Ponyville with us," Twilight informed him. "It's not far from here, and we'll all be around town."

He kept silent, Twilight's confidence chipping away as he continued staring like she hadn't said a word. "You'll be living with her, Nex," Luna explained, moving closer to him. "No harm will come to her, correct?"

He glared briefly before nodding his head. He turned back to Twilight, then grunted lowly. She glanced up to her fellow princesses, the elder laughing nervously. "He agrees," Celestia clarified, nudging Nex forward. "Let's go. You have a train to catch." He growled and jerked himself away, glaring at her harshly. "Oh! I'm sorry. I meant you all are taking the train. Together, Nex."

He grunted again, moving to the girls. They grew nervous as he lumbered over to them, hunched over as if he'd never stood correctly. He scanned over them all, then grunted to Twilight. She jumped in surprise, holding in a yelp as she calmed herself. "Come on. The exit's this way."

"We're gonna have so much fun when we get to Ponyville!" Pinkie cried, causing Nex to cringe. "You'll love it! We'll show you around town, take you to Sugarcube Corner, Rarity can make you clothes, and best of all: throw a party!"

Pinkie skipped along with Fluttershy, followed by Twilight and Rarity. Nex started walking, eyeing Applejack and Rainbow as they moved to his sides. "We're keepin' a close eye on you," the farm girl whispered, glaring at him threateningly.

"If you hurt anypony," she cracked her knuckle and sneered at him, "we throw you back here. Got it?"

His growl escalated, ignoring Applejack and seething at the blue stuntwoman. Dash's fiery gaze was the only answer to his guttural remark. He snorted and kept walking, glancing back to the princesses. Celestia nodded with a look of encouragement, while her sister merely acknowledged his focus on them.

Luna touched Twilight's shoulder, prompting the unicorn to turn. "Take this." The purple mare looked down into her palm, raising a brow as she took the collared leash.

"Um... Princess?" 

"The collar has a sedative-like secretion, and the leash can release it," she whispered. "Have Nex wear it, and if the need arises you must use it."

Twilight nodded slowly, anxious about deceiving what looked and acted like an animal. "Well... if you say so."

Nex looked forward when he heard the chime of magic, just as the doors to the castle opened for them. The mares kept walking, but stopped when Nex rose his arm to shield his eyes. Celestia's magic overwhelmed the guards', and the doors quickly shut.

Nex rubbed his eyes and growled in annoyance, his vision blurry as he stumbled back. "Are you alright?" Celestia asked, steadying him before he could fall. 

He shook his head and looked up. A colored ray of light shone into the castle through the stained glass, which Nex stared at. He reached a hand up, the light touching his skin and sending a bit of warmth through his body. Fluttershy couldn't help but smile as he waved his hand under the colored lights, as fascinated as a small colt. Nex turned to the door, then to Celestia. She looked to him as well, waiting for him to say or do something. He gestured to the door with a nod, and she lit her horn to open it before he grunted loudly. It took her a moment, but she nodded and released her magic grip on it.

Slowly, Nex placed his hand on the door, and strained as he forced it to open. It happened gradually, and he hissed as the light of the outside blinded him again. They followed him outside, watching him slowly move his arm away from his eyes. His eyes clenched shut, slowly adjusting to the intense sunlight. He squinted, his blurry vision soon clearing, but the intensity still burning. Nex exhaled softly, waiting for his eyes to adjust to his new surroundings. Once the stinging vanished, he opened his eyes.

Blue... an ocean of blue with tufts of white hung above, a bright ball of light off in the distance. He saw a blooming town, tiny movements of an entire city just down the hill. He looked to his right, where the landscape opened up for him to see. A grassy plains was near the base of the mountain, and a forest hung just a bit farther out. He breathed slowly, staring at the land for what felt like an eternity.

"What... that?"

Twilight's, and the others', ears perked towards him. "What?" Twilight asked, moving closer. 

Nex rose his good hand, pointing directly at the sun, but unable to look at it. "What... that?"

Celestia moved to his side. "It's called the sun, Nex," she answered, her voice weak but full of care. "It gives everypony light in the day."

The man looked to her. "Sun... day?"

A tear worked its way down Celestia's cheek as she nodded. "I move the sun to tell everypony it's time to wake," she explained with a trembling voice. "To tell them it's morning."

Celestia placed her hands on Nex's shoulders, looking out into the land with him. "It's a new day."